“The truth of a thing is in the feel of it, not the think of it.” Stanley Kubrick

Y4PT

While life is developing itself more and more in vertical urban environments, the incredible Youth of the World is manifesting its talents even more horizontally.
Give some Teams a believe and an issue to solve, and everyone will work together, forgetting their religious beliefs and cultural differences and united in the effort.
Then, bring them again to the real world and the divisions will reapply…why?
Because it seems we have to live in a world who thought us to be divided: everyone on its own to perform better than the other ones, to compete and gain more power and money.
Differences were born with the first shells utilized as money ‘exchanges…and voilà, game over, or to better say, let’s start the game!
What we have tried to create at Y4PT, and continuously trying to do, is to generate new spaces and new perspectives, new friendships, were the boundaries are useless.
Bringing back to life the incredible hope that only humanity coming from the inside deep hearts is able to bring to a divided actual scenario.
We are accomplishing, with the help of true helpers, passionate and competent people, what makes us feel alive: we are feeding a static world, centred on power and money making, with stories and ideas bringing harmony and feeling of belonging.
We are enhancing the beauty of souls and wisdoms, all through a long path lasting now since 12 years. All trying to understand why we are on this planet, on this Universe, to understand human history, attitudes and activities, to possibly generate guidance and novelties; to make our human society being again in harmony with the planet that hosts us, bringing joy at the same in the communities we form.

Our special hackathon

Through 1 year full of thousands of e-mails, we were able to create a connection based on positivity, energy, will to work, and compete for Humanity with a common goal.
We started with lot of no and denials, and just our firm will to make it happened, opened the door of a random basis’ selection. Like a domino effect cascade, it involved and generated a will of being part of something huge, that later on reflected the variety of the 22 cities and 37 nationalities involved. Operators, Universities, Authorities, that , after engaging through thousand e-mails exchanges, were feeling committed to something at the beginning they didn’t know how it revealed itself.
After 18 months of bubbling cities and groups generating ideas, we finally all met in Montreal, like if we knew each other since the Age of Time: hugging each other with the news and jumping of joy to meet again with the core old group. Every time is a miracle. We stay connected.

When we meet we are all just breathing together, naturally: just humans.

I’d love to say a few words and name each of you that shared those moments with me: I will forget some so, please forgive me if I do not name all!!

Beibut, putting aside his country idea to develop on his own the project he won with, opening himself to a bigger adventure. Massimo, the kindest, who made his abilities appear so normal. Emma, determined to push here boundaries and fight to advance her Nation. Kim so young and pushy, driven by a “bigger than her” adventure under the guidance of Mark, so deeply appreciative and collaborative. Thomas, a revelation, with a special communication ability, pure eyes and smile that will make people feeling happy and doors easily opening. Julius, such a loving kind and humble young man, while his mind, absolutely a strong one, proudly representing his country. Maria, a bubbling woman with a brilliant mind, a nanotech engineer, who said a scientist cannot be feminine? Igor, the purest mind’s reader that just through emails was connecting and caring for people. Pablo, the shy guy, not yet realizing to be on board of this big adventure.

Yes, an adventure: every Y4PT encounter is a true surprise, as we do not know how energies and minds will combine.

Gustavo and his brother, appreciating every moment of this connection with sparkling eyes, storing every fact and every memory inside his brain to bring it back to his family and life. Marco, the real prototype of the inventor, a deep loving person with a true committed life and believe in humanity. Ignacio, the grateful, learning every step ahead, who, working hard for his passion is building step by step his new reality. Juan Sebastian, faithful to his country’ image, learning to study and live in a country so different from his one. Under his “cover” of silent guy, a wonderful heart and laughing soul. Thomas from Chile, a mix of cultures showed through its entire figure , making committed efforts to work for the Team and opening to the world. Max, the real representative of his country, making smiles happening on his face everyday a bit more.

Fidel, the gentle inscrutable with a giant heart bringing back memories and learnings, always available to listen and give his presence. André, with his contagious enthusiasm and ability to push his boundaries. Eloi, the real geek with millions of ideas in a bubbling mind. Charles, the silent, absorbing and observing, without still believing what was happening through his life! Saeed, the practical one, able to spot the best things and moves with a real chess mind and eyes. Dejan, the “already formed and fitted” guy, so happy to show his abilities but at the same time discovering a place with no pushing competition. Bruno, the humble, introverted that when rightly solicited expressed a real knowledge and commitment.A straightforward Johnathan with his smile and energy…

Many others were there, many others memories of mine to form layers of humanity, all lasting in my mind.

And add to them the great team of passionate “gurus”, mentors, guides, supporters and friends!

Mercedes, finally able to free her mind from job’s clichés, a reserved Lady with a great understanding of the Field.
Laura, a true enthusiastic being, finally living a complete experience where her artistic, spiritual, mentoring, communication abilities and beliefs were all together in one place.
Sam, able to combine his Transport knowledge with his innovative and driven passion, in a tight schedule where everything was respected, fitting and finding the right place. Able to keep on track for long lasting nights and days!
René, a curious discoverer, full of light and true enthusiasm, combined with a lot of knowledge.

Guys, what a human experience was this one!! Such a beautiful journey we had!!

Rafael , the calmer , the observer, the actor who holds things together, able to spot every microgram of a possible problem, anticipating every move to untie the knots.

Yasmina, which I connected through a receiving energy moment, that got finally back positivity and energy from the experience; and so committed that she worked hard to refill the batteries of everyone because of this superior commitment she felt, and that we all had in that special place.

Friends, my words are reductive, especially because I do not use my language to express all these feelings, but,when people like to connect, only good things and energy can circulate in a space that is at a time physical and not.

And this is exactly what happened: without knowing: every piece of the puzzle was falling in the right space. Everything became possible and doable. You, as pillars, were supporting one each other and a fluid chain of love was forming.

Ideas were taking shape, shaped by an over dimensional energy, love was circulating and hugs were becoming the simplest and easiest form of communication, accompanied by continuous bright smiles enlightening everyone faces, also on the most reluctant ones, per culture and tradition. I saw the best tentative smiles from the more no used to, countries’ representatives.

Gratitude and joy were the most frequent feelings showed by words and eyes, while a high tech world of abilities was concentrating there…

Imagine how people could generate more, if only able to work and create in a positive energy environment.

And this is our Mission, yours now too! For everyone that experienced an event like this one , to continue to bring forward, despite all evil, all greed , all jealousy, all sadness, all negativity, all difficulties, this sane spirit.

The spirit of true togetherness to create advancements in a broken society.

Thanks to all of you, who, as simply spirits, despite preformatted education, you were able to be coherent with your deep self and connect , with no boundaries, with other people.

This is the believe we should all go through, the believe in humanity.

Something more than an hackathon

Learn through love and through passion, to unite universes that were thought irreconcilable, finding out, that, all over the world young talented minds are living to put the basis of an already present tomorrow which we can spot among today reality.

Discretely, humbly. And if we can spot them and bring them all together, all these lights will join in a no barrier present future.

With this “more than a hackathon”, we broke stereotypes and conventions overcoming our limitations.

We showed the world that events like these can be different, it all depends on the ability of showing more feelings and true love.

You all made real friendship through a series of unplanned connectivity in a soul and human value’s environment: we didn’t only innovate, we enjoyed innovating.

Big brands and advertising Mantras affect the world, and Y4PT is willing to show that there is more to it.

From gambling to shopping, social media or booze, we are becoming addicts: our fast paced societies are taking us away from the truth. We have so much stuff and wealth, so many gadgets and choices, but, is any of it making us happier? Does they fulfil us at a deeper level?

I’ve learned the hard way that the only way out is to look within.

Did you already said I believe? Did you already feel that energy that is making you find more energy also when you do not have more? As you see concretely under your eyes that things are changing, also if it is happening slowly? And that you contribute to the positive change of this world? That you have an influence?

Well, this is exactly what we all were, together in Montreal, and where we will stand together, for the future, also in the worst eventuality of not meeting physically again anywhere else in the world.

Because once experienced , you become addicted to Y4PT! ‘Cause we believe in YOU’th!

A giant hug to all!

Alessandra

PS No words are needed to indicate the trust, the beliefs and the long lasting endurance of my closest collaborators, co-founders Alfredo Barba and Sebastian Pernet and the Y4PT Chapters and ex chapters, friends from India, Nepal, Colombia and Pakistan , Italy, Nabeel Faraz, Juju Kaji, Daniel Perez, Muhammad Junaid Mandoori, Lorenzo Casullo, that relentless are working in their countries and at different international level to make a real transformation and create positivity all around them. Without you and your strength, this transformation wouldn’t have been possible.

Madrid, through EMT Madrid and MobilityLabs, is the first city joining our Global Y4PT Hackathon http://www.y4pt.org/projects/hackathon/, willing to give hundreds of people the opportunity to reach bigger audiences with their ideas, a platform were exchanges can be made, a place and moment were all their abilities can be finally be shown to the world of urban mobility.

The Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Madrid (also known as EMT Madrid) is the Madrid Public Transport Company that operates urban buses as part of the public transit services in Madrid, Spain. EMT Madrid also operates part of the underground parking facilities of the city as well as the tow-truck service. The organization is wholly owned by the municipality of Madrid and is a member of the Consorcio Regional de Transportes de Madrid (the Madrid regional transport authority).

EMT and MobilityLabs Madrid launches this Hackathon to present a new Opendata platform. With this vocation, the contest is open for developers and data journalists or any other citizen who, either individually or in teams, would like to work with free data or looking for new development models. Whether you are a student, professional, or business startup, you are invited to participate!

On July 11th a first workshop will be held in MedialabPrado, in Madrid, framed within the Hackathon contest MobilityLabs 2016. The essential purpose of the event is to present the platform and all its subsystems. To do this, from 10 AM to 5 PM there will be theoretical and practical sessions alternating. In addition, there will be some introductory session’s experts on various platforms related to the technologies.

The event will go on for two months, made of 2 phases:

1st phase will be dedicated to data Collection from the MediaLab platform and will last one month;

2nd phase will be dedicated to develop services and will also last one month;

MobilityLabs is an open and interoperable platform that enables the concentration of information based on events likely to be used in the field of urban mobility. This information is stored in Big Data and Real Time models. In short, MobilityLabs Madrid is a virtual space for the exchange of experiences and information in which developers and journalists can store data or extract information using the extensive resources available to the platform.

How is the way they work?

The workshop aims to be a platform for research, production, and learning from that and support the development of the new born Hackathon ideas.

The proposals will be developed in multidisciplinary working groups with the conceptual and technical advice from the organizers.

The organizers will provide as far as possible the needed tools for the implementation and documentation of selected projects.

Since one of the key objectives of the workshop is to promote the development, dissemination and free access to new data on the platform of open data EMT, participants will be encouraged to develop adequate documentation of the projects, both during the workshop and subsequently to completion, and to publish the results and source code under free licenses that allow access and dissemination of knowledge produced during the workshop.

MedialabPrado promotes the use of free software technology tools. Therefore encourages participants to work with shared and open coded applications and computing environments.

Worlwide Hackathon culminating @ the Montreal UITP Summit 2017This Regional Hackathon in Madrid, is the first one taking place within the Global Contest launched to see the regional finalists selected, participating at the final international Hackathon taking place in Montreal during the UITP Montreal Summit May 2017.

Y4PT devotes all its day-to-day activities to contribute the most to achieve universal sustainable transport coverage with public transport as cornerstone of multimodal mobility solutions. This is also expected from all contestants and their projects. Hackathon entries should contribute somehow to an ultimate goal, the one of doublingpublic transport’s market share worldwide (PTx2): UITP estimates that it would save around 170m tons of oil and 550m tons of CO2 equivalent; reduce urban traffic fatalities by 15%; double the number of jobs in public transport operators as well as reduce the risk of obesity and heart disease by 50% thanks to the greater role of walking, cycling and public transport.

Moreover all entries should be in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the one addressing sustainable transport (Target 11.2):

Our urban areas are becoming more and more polluted because of a rising numbers of cars and congested roads that are concentrating exhaust gases in city’s environments, bringing together millions of people that have to live in those places.

Traffic-related health is decreasing: the hostile relationship between human drive technological change and environment and impacts on health, cloaks a paradox since in the case of transport it facilitates the allocation of socio-economic resources, but at the same time, it causes detriment to the milieu at every single stage of the chain. From one side transport activities supply increasing mobility demands for passengers and goods, while on the other they are associated with growing negative environmental externalities, with clear effects on health.

It is ironic, that for example, a simple action (beneficial with a naked eye) such as driving kids from their homes to the kindergarten in order to receive their daily lessons can damage environment if diesel-fuelled school buses are used, and later on the expelled smoke becomes the cause of respiratory diseases in them and people around.

Healthy Mobility is here for a switch!

The Healthy Mobility – Modal Shift Challenge is willing to swap your attitude, and bring some fresh air on your days!

For the third consecutive year, we are asking you to give it a try: leave your car at home, completely or partially, add some walking or biking into your daily displacements and, for one month, see the difference, is for real!

Later on, take our survey, click on the link below, it will only take 5 minutes! Why? Because:

Y4PT is willing to listen in a detailed way to what people think, and bring your active voices and actions, to the attention of the decision-makers, to rise stronger attention on transport-related issues that are totally uncontrolled by citizens, that passively have to accept to breathe and live in polluted environments, just because of the oil lobby power and car manufacturers hegemony.

Our up-rising can bring all people in the direction of an healthier way of living, walking more, biking more, and taking public transport, to contrast a lethal global attitude.

Actually, are you physically aware of the benefits that can be induced by changing our mobility behaviors? Do you know that you can lose weight, reduce your risks of diabetes, obesity and cholesterol related diseases; have a healthy heart and a lower blood pressure? Do you know that you can avoid depression, be happier and mentally more awaken if you use public transport and integrate other forms of movement around your city?

Take the Survey also if you are already an Healthy Mobility friend!

If you have already integrated in your life a healthy mobility behavior, take the challenge and document it taking the survey to show us your good habits!

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

Everyone interested in promoting public transport, biking and walking as sustainable alternatives to cars and other private transport modes.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: GET INVOLVED!!!

– Think about a “rather than by car” transport mode (public transport, biking, walking, etc…) which you will be using during the scheduled period in order to move around your city.

– At the end of the challenge period, fill up the online survey and provide us with detailed and contextual information about your experience. Your voice will be heard at Transports Publics 2016 – European Mobility Exhibition in Paris (France, Europe) and everywhere in the world!

You already took the survey? Great! Now , we are asking you to document your challenge, and, if you already have healthy habits, show them to us! We are willing to build an exhibit of the best videos and pictures around the world documenting these positive behaviors of yours: so, post on our dedicated Facebook page, the videos and pictures show your change!

Share with us your incredible transformations while you were weighing more before the challenge and less after it! Show your healthy foods, your smiles before and after the challenge, your sunny and healthy skin, your attitudes!

A few days ago I met Novia Salcedo representatives, whose headquarters are in Bilbao. At our siege in Brussels, we talked about creating a possible partnership for many interesting different projects , all related to a fundamental issue of these years: the situation of helplessness and youth unemployment which is an unacceptable scourge for the people of the second decade of 21st century.

The idea is to be on board for the International Campaign for Youth Employment Decade 2013-2016 and, secondly, to have young people from Spain developing and collaborating with us on the light of our Employouth tool’ development.

The International Campaign for Youth Employment Decade 2013-2016 is an initiative of the civil society born in Spain, with an objective to generate an international movement of reflection, thought, debate and action, that provides ideas, content and solutions for the unemployment situation or the situation of no decent employment that millions of youths are experiencing in hundreds of places across the world.
The final objective of this Campaign is for the United Nations General Assembly to declare 2019-2028 ‘Youth Employment Decade’ as an opportunity to drive the economic and social transformation of organizations and countries.

Novia Salcedo believe that the solution to the big problems that global society is facing needs to go hand in hand with big and feasible dreams. Y4PT do believe so, too!

In this dream, action-solution, they suggest beginning with a proposal for economic and social change on three levels – people-organisations-society-, towards one more inclusive. And they make this proposal taking as a guiding thread the integration of youths in the human, economic and social development by launching specific actions on a global scope, compatible and complementary with those of a local scope in order to reduce youth unemployment that we all face across the world. Therefore, they are talking about an important exercise of Social Innovation at a global level. We’d love to be on board with our Y4PT Foundation.

To successfully carry out this ambitious project it is necessary to reconcile many allies, some within reach of NSF but others not. That is why we need the cooperation of multiple local and global agents, governmental and no-governmental, that go along with us through the different facets of the project, with a multidirectional cooperation model that help us achieve the objectives we are pursuing.

To lay out social innovations of this significance requires a high impact operation, that is exciting and in which we can all be involved. Given the extreme severity of youth unemployment we can no longer look away.

It is time to decide. We owe them answers.

Concretely,Y4PT will be also very happy to accompany for a long period one or more youth from Spain, selected by Novia Salcedo, in order for them to start learning technical and transversal competencies, developing our Employouth International Job Bank in the field of Sustainable Mobility. This Youth from Spain will undergo with us thorugh a geographical mobility and an exchange of knowledge with all the other Y4PT representatives around the world and by doing sowe are offering them a kind of worldwide “ coaching and learning” experience.

Alessandra Gorini

What is the Youth Employment Decade?

The Youth Employment Decade expects that the geographic area where it is implemented includes municipalities, regions, countries, public and private entities, non-profit and profit organisations, networks related to youth and/or employment, academic institutions, religious institutions, unions, governments, etc. that are developing activities within this framework.

That is, the Decade will take place anywhere in the world where, through different initiatives and activities promoted by the civil society or in cooperation with the public sector, there is a wish to join in the achievement of its objectives, including:

Make a call to attention at the highest political and social levelabout the current situation of youth unemployment across the world.
2. To promote efforts in order to comply with the international commitments entered into with regards to employment and decent jobs.
3. To open participating spaces and intergenerational and intercultural dialogue among youth and the political and social authorities to address the issue of unemployment with the challenges and the potentials of youths themselves.
4. Suggest priorities, content and lines of action in the political, social and economic fields to combat youth unemployment and no decent jobs, including gender discrimination.
5. Point the attention toward policies and proactive activities that guarantee sustainable management of the access of youth to the labour market in the long term, both in terms of quality and quantity.
6. To promote research, creation of knowledge and interchange of good practices with regards to youth employment.
7. To undertake action to increase awareness of the society as a whole about the risks and consequences of youth unemployment and its role in the eradication of poverty and in the economic and social transformation and growth of countries.
8. To achieve the commitment, cooperation and investment from all agents involved during not only the decade 2019-2028, but also beyond.

In the mid-term these objectives will be transformed into results, preferably quantifiable (so as to never again return to massive unemployment, sudden changes of income distribution and generational inequality, indicators of social cohesion and participation, public welfare, no decent jobs, gender discrimination, etc.). And create an organisational structure able to respond and guarantee the celebration of the Youth Employment Decade in the world in accordance with their objectives and results through the activities, projects or programs that are defined for each level -local, regional, national, international- involved in it.

Some representatives from Y4PT Belgium & EU had the great opportunity to take part in a workshop for entrepreneurs called SenseFiction event and organised by MakeSense Brussels.

Social entrepreneurs presented their interesting projects in different fields such as youth employment and environmental sustainability. All these ideas were a great inspiration for us. On our side we have presented the concept of the Moving for Change project to tackle Congestion and Pollution in Brussels which was widely welcomed by the participants.

The real work started by discussing in small groups on how to tackle the problems that each project is trying to solve. The discussion was definitely productive for our project as our concept was refined and complemented.

We are now ready to start putting our ideas into actions! Follow us in this movement!

[…] provide you with detailed information about this amazing event. Our voice will be heard at the 4th Y4PT World Youth Meeting (Y4PT Dubai 2014) during the 2014 UITP MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition in Dubai and everywhere in the […]

Y4PT Foundation sincerely thanks the Roads and Transport Authority of the Emirate of Dubai (RTA Dubai) and Ferrovie Nord Milano (FNM) S.p.A. and all other donors after their generosity to sustain its activities for contributing to the advancement of humankind and environment towards sustainability.

Youth For Public Transport (Y4PT) - www.y4pt.org - is a Belgium-based international youth-led pro-sustainable-mobility non-profit non-governmental organization (iNGO) created by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) - www.uitp.org - acting as its "Parent Organization" and sustained by the Roads and Transport Authority of the Emirate of Dubai (RTA Dubai) and Ferrovie Nord Milano (FNM) S.p.A. - www.fnmgroup.it - acting as its "Honorary Founding Members".

Y4PT is officially incorporated (registered) as a legal person in accordance with the Law of the Kingdom of Belgium.